Edinburgh International Harp Festival

Edinburgh International Harp Festival
Genre	Music festival
Dates	2022: 8–13 April (exact dates vary each year)
Location(s)	Edinburgh
Country	Scotland, United Kingdom
Years active	1982 - present
Founded	1982; 43 years ago (1982)
Sponsor	The Clarsach Society
Website	https://www.harpfestival.co.uk/

The Edinburgh International Harp Festival is an annual harp festival held in Edinburgh, Scotland that includes concerts, workshops, and courses, as well as one of the world's largest exhibitions of harp-makers. Organized and promoted by The Clarsach Society, two staff members, and a team of volunteers,[1] the festival is held in April of each year and attracts more than 500 harpists from more than 25 countries.[2][3]

History and origins

Pilgrim Harps held the first iteration of the festival, then called the Celtic Harp Festival, in 1982 to coincide with the now-defunct Edinburgh Folk Festival. After two years, the quick growth of what had become the Edinburgh Harp Festival necessitated additional funds and assistance to run it, and Pilgrim Harps continued to support the festival but handed the reins over to the Edinburgh branch of The Clarsach Society. In 1991, the Edinburgh branch in turn handed the festival over to their parent body, The Clarsach Society. The festival has been held every year since its founding, but was held virtually in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] In 2022, the festival will return in a hybrid format, offering both virtual and in-person events, and move after 20 years in its old location at Merchiston Castle School to George Watson's College.[4]

In 2002, the festival changed its name to the Edinburgh International Harp Festival to recognize the increasing numbers of international performers and participants drawn to the event.[2]

In 2006, the festival set what was then the Guinness World Record for "largest harp ensemble" by having a group of 201 harpists play together.[5]

People

Performers and teachers

Selected performers and teachers from recent festivals include:

• 2018: Nikolaz Cadoret, Gabriella Dall'Ollio, Sarah Deere-Jones, Maeve Gilchrist, Rachel Hair and Ruth Keggin, Ismael Ledesma, Catriona McKay and Chris Stout, Rachel Newton, Ailie Robertson, and Park Stickney[6]
• 2019: Moussa Cissokho, Sixto and Juanjo Corbalan, Helen Davies, Elinor Evans, Gráinne Hambly, William Jackson, Delyth and Angharad Jenkins, Eira Lynn Jones, Mary Ann Kennedy, Rachel Newton, The Poozies, Pippa Reid–Foster, Rodrigo Romani, Freya Thomsen, and Twelfth Day[7]
• 2020: Tom Daun, Cormac de Barra of the Moya Brennan Band, Anne Denholm, Ben Creighton Griffiths, Corrina Hewat, and Lily Neill[3]
• 2021: Sixto and Juanjo Corbalan, Maeve Gilchrist, Rachel Hair and Ron Jappy, Ingrid Henderson and Iain Macfarlane, Maggie MacInnes, Corrina Hewat, Eira Lynn Jones and Anne Denholm, Laoise Kelly, Llio Rhydderch, Ailie Robertson, Adriano Sangineto, Sìleas, Park Stickney, Esther Swift, and Tarab Trio[8]

Festival organizers

As of 2021, festival organizers include Mary Scott (Festival Co-ordinator), Isobel Mieras MBE (Artistic Advisor), Patsy Seddon (Artistic Advisor), Mary Macmaster (Stage Management), and Rachel Hair (Press and Media).[9]

Regular features

Each year, the festival includes three main elements:

• Concerts - Concerts feature performances by harpists alone, in groups, or with other instruments. The 2019 festival featured 10 concerts.[7]
• Workshops and courses - These are opportunities for child and adult harp students to take classes (either with their harps, or with paper and pen) during the festival. Workshops consist of one single meeting while courses take place over two or three days.[10] The 2018 and 2019 festival each included 62 workshops and courses.[7][6]
• Harpmakers exhibition - The exhibition offers attendees an opportunity to view and test out harps from different harp makers.

In recent years, the festival has often included performances of pieces newly commissioned by the festival as well as performances by young, up-and-coming harp players and groups of school-aged harpists.[6] Festival Artistic Advisor Isobel Mieras has stated that one of the festival's goals is to "encourage young talent" in addition to showcasing established musicians.[7]

Reviews and media coverage

In 2018, The Edinburgh Reporter described that year's festival lineup as putting "Edinburgh at the centre of world class harping."[6]

References

1. "About The Society". The Clarsach Society. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
2. "EIHF-The First Forty Years". Edinburgh International Harp Festival. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
3. Rudden, Liam (30 March 2020). "Edinburgh's International Harp Festival goes global as it reinvents itself as a virtual online event". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
4. "2022 Arts Preview: The Year Ahead in Folk & Jazz". The Scotsman. 1 January 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
5. Glenday, Craig (29 April 2008). Guinness World Records 2008. ISBN 9780553589955. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
6. Stephen, Phyllis (30 January 2018). "Edinburgh International Harp Festival 2018". The Edinburgh Reporter. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
7. "The Edinburgh International Harp Festival: 5th-10th April 2019". Traditional Arts+Culture Scotland. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
8. "All Concert Pass". Edinburgh International Harp Festival. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
9. "Festival Team". Edinburgh International Harp Festival. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
10. "Frequently Asked Questions". Edinburgh International Harp Festival. Retrieved 3 February 2022.